Five Nice Things

1. Sniffing and kissing my toddler’s head approx 1000 times a day
2. Tutu’ed big girls who were kind to aforementioned toddler at the park
3. The quiet reliability of my family’s love
4. Christmas as a Christian- God came in person to give us grace
5. Chicken Parm with a nice fresh salad and crunchy chips

I love reading these so much! Turned off a Netflix show that I tried and didn’t like bc I knew I’d enjoy reading all your Five Things instead! Here are mine right now:

1. Homemade chai tea in the morning
2. Watching all seasons of The Good Place with my 12- and 16-yr-old, and the ensuing conversations about ethics, meaningfulness, and the afterlife (WOW)
3. Bloomed-out orchids that now have new buds!
4. Coffee ice cream with puffed brown rice cereal
5. Planning a mapped list of Christmas lights to go see, when a friend called and asked if I knew anything about Christmas lights to visit. We ended up caravanning in our own cars (masked, too) for 2.5 hours to see all the houses!

-when my milky black tea with honey tastes perfect and I am left alone to quietly drink it
-when my 2-yr-old son presents me his chubby cheeks to kiss over and over again
-spectacular cloudscapes
-when the kids sleep in
-laughing to tears

– reading my book while sipping on some champagne.
– Scented candles
– my family
– Watching Christmas movies
– Cappuccino

1. Watching the snow fall with my kids from inside our warm cozy home.
2. Warm lemon bars with powdered sugar dusted on top.
3. A funny email from a sweet older neighbour.
4. Watching my kids open a kinder egg surprise. (Canadian)
5. Listening to my husband fall asleep next to me while I enjoy my quite time.

– Reading my book while with my 7 year reads his, all snuggled up on the sofa
– The latest album from Damien Jurado (What’s New Tombow), the perfect soundtrack to a cozy evening, or breakfast, or ride in the rain!
– Lindor Milk chocolate truffles and a glass of Malbec
– Receiving my 9 year olds’ christmas present in the mail: An Etsy personalized sketchbook that turned out perfect!
– Weekly appointments with my Chiropractor, who is just a little bit sexy (and good at fixing my back :)

1. I got the Covid vaccine on Friday!! My hospital put on a “walk through” clinic for providers to come get the shot, and there was such an air of jubilance in there- like Christmas had come a week early!
2. The so so so SO soft hands of my 7 month old distractedly rubbing my arm as she nurses.
3. All of the Christmas presents already wrapped and under the tree!
4. My rascally 3 year old TOLD my husband what we got him for Christmas, but because she still has her baby pronunciations, he thinks he’s getting “SHORTS” for Christmas rather than “shirts.” :)
5. A hot toddy and Amazing Race after the girls are in bed for the night.

1. Getting into bed when you’re REALLY tired (tied with “when you’ve just washed your sheets”).
2. The way my 4-month-old puppy, Penny, greets me when I come back into ANY room (tied with lovingly watching her sleep – I’m obsessed).
3. When you take your hair down and don’t expect it to look good and it DOES.
4. Sitting in front of the fireplace in my very own home that I bought without a man.
5. Laughing very hard at old jokes with old and really, really good friends.

1. The sweetest most encouraging voicemails from my Dad who passed away about a month ago most of which start with “Hi baby” or “Hi my Tannie bear” and end with him saying how much he loves me and is always proud of me.
2. My Mom and sister and their endless love and deep friendship to me.
3. The way my 2 yr old nephew looks at me and says “Ti ti” (what he calls me) with a pleading tone when he wants me to do something with him.
4. The scene in Notting Hill where Julia Roberts comes home with Hugh Grant for his sister’s birthday. Feels so delightfully realistic and fun.
5. This post and the joy it’s brought reading all the wonderful life filled comments in the middle of a sleepless night.

1. Reading by the light of the Christmas tree
2. My new desert cedar bath soap
3. Walking in the cold before sunrise
4. Photos of healthcare workers getting vaccinated
5. Wrapping presents after bedrime with a glass of wine

1. Seeing Christmas lights at night in the neighborhood
2. Shelter, food, and utilities
3. Picking out gifts for family & friends
4. Eating chocolate covered raisins
5. Listening to Christmas songs with my daughter and dog by the tree

1. Last day of work until January 4
2. Christmas lights
3. The feeling of accomplishment after a tough cycling class workout
4. Doughnuts
5. The anticipation of gift giving

1. Reading on the couch with music on in the background
2. Putting a hair mask on
3. That feeling of peace when watching the sunset
4. Relishing in foods and drinks that make you feel cozy and safe
5. Effortless conversations

1. Sleeping in after a night of drinking
2. The northern flicker; it’s a magnificent bird
3. Porches in the south. Everyone’s always welcome for a chat.
4. Zapps evil eye
5. Hot dogs

1. Freshly laundered flannel sheets
2. White chocolate covered oreos from a local bakery
3. A fully stocked refrigerator – I’m just home from a grocery store trip!
4. Homemade paper snowflakes
5. A new roll of packing tape

1. Sleeping in
2. Restorative yoga after a good workout
3. Shopping for stocking stuffers
4. My favorite Mexican take-out on a rainy PNW day
5. Rewatching ‘Big Bang Theory’ while snuggling with my hubby and the dogs

1. Staying in bed on this Sunday morning, sipping coffee and doing nothing.
2. My son’s spontaneous hugs
3. Thinking about my next year’s garden plans
4. Watching big fluffy snowflakes fall, as I’m writing this
5. Seeing pictures of my 2 month old twin nephews that I have yet to meet.

1. Being alive and healthy
2. Knowing my all loved ones are alive and well
3. Receiving Christmas and New Year gifts
4. Watching great movies and sports game with my over the top crazy fanatical friends
5. And the smell of Roasted Beef

1 – My new necklace from MomoSara, an awesome designer from my home town of TLV (yay, Jewelry and supporting local artists!)
2 – Fresh star-fruit
3 – I had a lovely weekend with my beloved, we cooked tasty things together and baked muffins! <3
4 – Watching the filmed production of Hamilton was so fun, we sang the whole musical through and were amazed by the stage production
5 – Seeing my BFF and their cat cuddling is adorable <3

1. My kind, funny, grown-up daughter who told me today that she practices gratitude every morning before she gets out of bed. I admire her so much!
2. The pandemic for the time it has given us as a family to get to know each other on a deeper level.
3. The cats (all five, all former strays who strayed our way), who take it in turns on who to sleep with each night. Right now both orange boys are snuggling me, both orange girls are with my daughter, and our senior Tortoiseshell is snug in her bed under the Christmas tree.
4. Having enough – enough food, shelter, heat, electricity, and all of the basics, plus the extras like Christmas gifts.
5. Our health – so far, so good. And the covid vaccines, which give me hope that we may be able to stay healthy.

1. A hot cup of tea with milk and honey first thing in the morning.
2. Getting that little thank-you hand signal from motorcyclists when I leave room for them to pass on the highway.
3. The feeling of my cat, meatloaf, settling in for the night. She find the crook of my knees, makes biscuits for a minute, the snuggles up — that final whoomph of her flopping into the little blanket nest that she’s made is the best.
4. Finding little tchotchkes on my daily walks — as a kid, I used to go on treasure walks with my grandma, and every time I find something now, it makes me feel like she’s checking in to make sure I’m doing well.
5. Almond roca!!

1. The smell of the earth right before a rain.
2. The warmth of my daughter when she snuggles against my chest for our nightly rock.
3. The quiet of the house when I wake up at 3 am and sneak in a little blog reading before falling back to sleep.
4. The perfect summer peach.
5. My German shepherd’s dry nose when she just wakes from a nap.

1. Sitting in front of the fire whilst my husband makes us cocktails.
2. Baking Christmas cookies with my 2 youngest girls.
3. Off to see ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Minack theatre (outdoor theatre built on the cliffs in Cornwall) next week.
4. Surprise packages from France with yummy food and champagne from siblings who we haven’t been able to see.
5. Hot chocolate on the beach with my eldest boy, who’s just turned 8.

1) My 4 year old student blowing me a kiss when online pre-K class ends
2) Making & listening to my holiday playlist (finally!)
3) Watching birds at the bird feeder & bird bath
4) The sound & smell of my wooden wick candles
5) “Talking” to my good friend from HS every day by sharing funny memes:)

1. It’s really sunny today
2. Cute video I came across on Instagram of a little girl getting so excited to greet/hug her brother when he comes home from school. They run to each other as he gets off the bus and it’s so dang cute.
3. Good couch pillows
4. Sweatpants (MVP of 2020)
5. Anticipation of my relaxing lazy Saturday ahead